Using NDT image processing analysis to study the soundness and cleanliness of accelerated cooled continuously cast steel slabs

The continuous increasing demand for high quality and faster continuously cast slabs steel production without sacrificing the overall quality of the slabs requires good control of the casting speed, uniform and controlled cooling during solidification. Others factors such as machine design, operating techniques and slab width have a strong effect on casting rate and increase productivity. One area that has received limited attention is the accelerated cooling of slabs. A major objective of this work was to assess the soundness of continuously cast slabs that were accelerated cooled prior to completion of the γ to α transformation. To achieve this objective a non destructive testing technique (NDT) was used to assess the level of anomalies or defects in the slabs. The results from the NDT analysis were assessed with the aid of software developed to identify the type of defects and their location in the slabs. These results were complemented with a systematic microstructural analysis. This paper will present and discuss the results of this NDT lmage Processing Analysis.